chuck todd, nbc. >> thank you, sir. as you know senate democrats, harry reid, sent you a letter, begging you, essentially, to take, consider some sort of executive action on this debt ceiling issue. i know you said you're not negotiating on it. your administration has ruled out the various ideas that have been out there, the 14th amendment, but just this morning, one of the house democratic leaders, jim clyburn asked you to use the 14th amendment, he said sometimes what it takes. talked about the emancipation proclamation. took executive action when congress wouldn't act and compared the debt ceiling to that. are you considering a plan b? if not, why not? >> well, chuck, the issue here is whether or not america pays its bills. we are not a deadbeat nation. and so, there's a very simple solution to this. congress authorizes us to pay our bills. now if the house and the senate want to give me the authority so that they don't have to take these tough votes, if they want to put the responsibility on me to raise the debt cei